Can't you just imagine the irritable and despondent attitudes? Peter and his buddies had been fishing all night and caught nothing.
I don't know if you have a fisherman in your family, but I do. Both our sons LOVE to fish, but the older of the two is especially captivated by the sport. He has different fishing poles for different purposes. Actually, I was just informed by the younger brother that the correct term is fishing "rods," not "poles." Anyway, Alex has different lures and bobbers and line for every occasion. He actually STUDIES to fish.
Oh, and if by some chance - some wild, crazy chance - you are reading this column, watch out Bill Dance. Alex is coming for your job!
My son amazes me, in that he can tie more fishing knots, than I can tie regular knots. However, sometimes he uses this knowledge to make his old fishermom a little jealous. You can imagine the looks I get when I try to tie a hook onto the younger brother's line. I am quickly informed that I'm not doing it right, and it's not going to hold. Of course, it doesn't matter that when I was growing up, I tied millions of regular knots on my fishing line, which held up quite well. But I guess I just was fortunate...since I didn't know how to tie the particular knot for the particular occasion!
As my husband brought out yesterday in his message, Jesus - a carpenter - climbed into Peter's boat - a fisherman by trade - and proceeded to tell him how to catch fish. Peter said, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing: nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net" (Luke 5: 5). Imagine Peter's surprise when he did as the Carpenter told him to do and the fish - that had been non-existent all night - almost beat themselves silly to get into the net on their own free will. Luke tells us the abundance of fish was actually breaking the nets, and because of that, Peter had to call over another boat to help. They filled that boat, and then it began to sink, filled to capacity with fish. At that point, Peter looks up, realizes the Carpenter wasn't merely a carpenter. He was the Lord - "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" Peter exclaimed (v. 8).
Peter knew fishing. Peter knew how to mend nets to make them hold. He probably even knew how to tie a few more knots than my child, but what Peter didn't know, was what Jesus knew. Yes, Peter was a fisherman by trade, but he wasn't JUST a fisherman. He was a fisher OF men.
There are so many other accounts in Scripture just like this one...where someone saw themselves as something other than what Jesus knew them to be.
Gideon - When God called him a "mighty man," he was hiding in a wine press, afraid the Midianites might come and take his wheat. Gideon "reminded" the Lord that he was the youngest of his family and his tribe was the smallest. Yet through the angel, God spoke Gideon's real purpose and calling: "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!"(Judges 6:12). Don't neglect the exclamation point at the end.
Jeremiah - When God called him, he tried to excuse himself, saying that he "cannot speak, for I am a youth" (Jer. 1:6). To which the Lord replied, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord" (vs. 7,8).
And then we have Moses - yes, Red Sea Moses - Israel's liberator from Egypt. When God called him, he gave some of the best excuses ever. He questioned God: "Who am I?" (Ex. 3:11); "What shall I say?" (v.13); "But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice" (4:1); "I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (v.10); and finally, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send" (v. 13). That one made me chuckle out loud.
Moses, indeed, had to be the winner of the "Called By God Excuse War," but no excuse was good enough for God. Imagine that.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that God sees you and knows you, my friend, as someone other than what you see yourself and know yourself to be. He may have in mind for you to do incredible things to impact His kingdom, and yet, you - as many others have done, including myself - have given Him excuse after excuse as to why you can't do that "thing" He's called you to do. After all, you are busy doing so many OTHER things for His kingdom...things that are good. You're at church every time the doors open. You're on at least two committees, and you stay in the nursery three times a year. Besides, you're not sure you are equipped to do "that thing." You've never done it before.
And yet, God continues to call, for He doesn't want or need what you can do for Him. He wants your surrender. As Steve put it yesterday in his sermon, God cherishes someone who is willing to lay down his own will and desires and exchange them for His will and desire. He wants your friendship - your relationship - your willingness to be obedient out of your ever-growing love for Him.
When God called Peter, he felt unworthy of the call and tried to excuse himself by reminding Jesus of his unworthiness. I'm sure it was incredibly difficult for him to imagine that Jesus could use the "likes of him." But when he finally figured it out - when he finally saw that the Carpenter (who could fish, by the way), knew what He was talking about - Scripture says that Peter "forsook all and followed Him" (Luke 5:11).
Is it time? Is it finally time for you to see yourself as the person that Christ sees and knows you to be? Is it finally time for you to stop "doing things" for Jesus and begin to please Him in your surrender? Is it time for you to "forsake all and follow Him?"
I think so...no, I know so.
Thank You, Jesus, for calling us...and equipping us to do exactly what You desire for us...nothing more, nothing less. You know what we were created to do. Help us see that so that we can become busy about doing the things that please You and build Your kingdom. Thank You for being patient with us, Jesus. Thank You.
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